DARPADARPA

Dr. Douglas C. Schmidtdschmidt@darpa.mil

DARPA/ITO

Towards Adaptive & Reflective Middleware for Combat Systems

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Authorized for Public Release: Distribution Unlimited

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DARPADARPAEmerging Operational Trends & Challenges

•Devising assurable embedded systems•e.g., efficient, predictable, & safe, secure

•Devising adaptable embedded systems•e.g., real-time dynamic allocation of computing/networking resources across many physical/virtual assets

•Devising affordable embedded systems•e.g., transition technology to COTS

•Devising assurable embedded systems•e.g., efficient, predictable, & safe, secure

•Devising adaptable embedded systems•e.g., real-time dynamic allocation of computing/networking resources across many physical/virtual assets

•Devising affordable embedded systems•e.g., transition technology to COTS

Key ChallengesEmerging Trends•Next-generation embedded systems are moving from platform-centric to network-centric distributed “systems of systems”

•Demands for greater autonomy are growing

•To meet expanding needs, our embedded systems must be more assurable, adaptable, & affordable

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DARPADARPA

Autonomous distributed embedded systems

Emerging R&D Challenges & Trends

Middleware,Frameworks, & Components

Patterns & PatternLanguages

Standards & Open-source

•However, recent COTS software technology advances are helping to fundamentally reshape R&D

•However, recent COTS software technology advances are helping to fundamentally reshape R&D

High-performance, real-time, fault-tolerant, and secure systems

Power-aware ad hoc, mobile, distributed, & embedded systems

•Despite IT commoditization, COTS is often not applicable for mission-critical DoD network-centric embedded systems

•Despite IT commoditization, COTS is often not applicable for mission-critical DoD network-centric embedded systems

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DARPADARPAProblems with Current

Embedded System Approaches

Applications

Endsystem

Applications

EndsystemWireless/Wireline Networks

Sensor Systems

Weapon Systems

Technology base:Proprietary MW

MercuryLink16/11/4

Command & Control System

Technology base:DII-COEPOSIX

ATM/Ethernet

Weapon Control Systems

Technology base:Proprietary MW

VxWorksFDDI/LANS

EngagementSystem

Technology base:Proprietary MW

POSIXNTDS

Technology base:Proprietary MW

POSIXVME/1553

Operating System

OperatingSystem

KillEval

SchedEO Illum

NetworkNetwork

AAWEG AAW

AAWTBMEG AAWAAW

AAWMG

TMBMG

Problems• Non-scalable tactical performance

• Inadequate QoS control for joint operations

• e.g., distributed weapons control

• High software lifecycle costs

• e.g., many “accidental complexities” & low-level platform dependencies

Problems• Non-scalable tactical performance

• Inadequate QoS control for joint operations

• e.g., distributed weapons control

• High software lifecycle costs

• e.g., many “accidental complexities” & low-level platform dependencies

• Dynamic embedded system QoS requirements historically not supported by COTS

• i.e., COTS is too big, slow, buggy, incapable, & inflexible

• Likewise, the proprietary multiple technology bases in embedded systems today limit effectiveness by impeding• Assurability (of QoS), • Adaptability, & • Affordability

Today, each combat system brings its own:

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DARPADARPA

• Adaptive – capable of static or dynamic modification• Reflective – capable of self-adaptation based on functional & QoS context• QoS – non-functional system properties, e.g., thruput, latency/jitter, scalability,

dependability, & security

Create the new generation of adaptive & reflective middleware system (ARMS) technologies to simultaneously control multiple system QoS properties

Applications

Endsystem

Applications

Endsystem

A More Effective Approach

Middleware Middleware

Common Services Common Services

Distribution Middleware Distribution Middleware

Infrastructure Middleware Infrastructure Middleware

Domain-Specific Services Domain-Specific Services

Wireless/Wireline Networks

Sensor System

Weapon System

Command & Control System

EngagementSystem

Weapon Control System

Operating System Operating System

ARMS Benefits•Highly scalable tactical performance

•e.g., distributed resource mgmt.•Enable new warfighting capability

•e.g., distributed weapons control•Support common technology bases

•e.g., elevate standardization of COTS to middleware to control software lifecycle costs by minimizing lower-level dependencies

ARMS Benefits•Highly scalable tactical performance

•e.g., distributed resource mgmt.•Enable new warfighting capability

•e.g., distributed weapons control•Support common technology bases

•e.g., elevate standardization of COTS to middleware to control software lifecycle costs by minimizing lower-level dependencies

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DARPADARPADARPA/ITO Family of

Embedded Systems Programs

SECSEC• Hybrid system control & computationHybrid system control & computation

QuorumQuorum• Quality-of-service & translucent layers

MoBIESMoBIES• Design technology & software CAD

ARMSARMS• Adaptive & reflective middlewareAdaptive & reflective middleware

PCESPCES• Composable embedded systems

NESTNEST• Deeply networked embedded systems

PCAPCA• Polymorphous computing architectureHardware

Domain-SpecificServices

CommonServices

DistributionMiddleware

InfrastructureMiddleware

Operating Systems & Protocols

Applications

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DARPADARPAWhy We Can Make a Difference Now

Recent synergistic advances in fundamentals:

QoS-enabled Middleware

Pattern Languages

Distributed Resource Modeling

Bold Stroke AvionicsMission Computing

WSOA Real-time Retargeting

Pattern Languages• Generate software architectures by (1)

capturing common structures & dynamics & (2) resolving design constraints

Distributed Resource Modeling• Formally specify resource mgmt. plans;

model, reason about, & refine them; & monitor/enforce them automatically

Recent success infusing standards-based COTS into DRE systems:

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C/AdaCyclic execsProprietary

C++UNIXCORBA

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JavaLinuxRT CORBA

RT JavaRT LinuxRT CORBA

DRTS JavaRT LinuxRT CORBAARMS

Network

QoS-enabled Middleware• Pluggable protocol/service components

& reusable “semi-complete” frameworks that assure end-to-end system qualities